True North Strong and Free
by usmccanthem
Summary: Canada meets one of his citizens and learns that not everyone will forget him... Human names used! One-shot! Complete!


_Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or the small part of the Canadian Anthem._

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Matthew was a quiet person, he knew that. He also knew that was a pushover at times, but he hated it. He was the personification of Canada! The true North strong and free! He should have more backbone or at least more confidence to speak up. And yet, as he sat once more forgotten during a World Meeting – in Ottawa no less – he found it hard to stand up, to speak out.

He turned to his bear, Kumafiro or was it Kumakichi? "Who?" The adorable little bear asked.

"I'm Canada," He told him tiredly. As he stared at the silly bear he couldn't help but wonder if all the rumors about Canadians having Polar Bears for pets were his fault…

"THAT'S IT!" Germany yelled over the fighting of America and England. Matthew wasn't surprised that he no longer heard their arguing, having heard it so often it had become background noise. "I'm calling this meeting to an end; see you all tomorrow, ja?" Germany said in a strong voice that carried throughout the room. With a chorus of agreements, the other nations quickly fled the room, America leading the pack.

Matthew didn't get up, not wanting to be trampled once more because he was invisible. Soon, he was alone and he sighed at the blessed silence that covered the room. The silence was broken when the door opened once more, and Matthew wondered if someone had remembered they had forgotten him. However, instead he saw a little girl enter the room.

"Hello Mister, I'm Sarah," The small girl said with a smile, showing the gaps where she had lost teeth. "Oh a stuffy!" She cried when she noticed Kuma.

"Ah, he's not a stuffy." Matthew stood up carefully and walked over to Sarah. Bending down to her level once he reached her, he stuck out a hand, "I'm Matthew Williams."

"Nice to meet you Mister Williams," She chirped with a beaming smile. "Who's he if not a stuffy?" She asked rubbing a hand on Kumajiro's head.

The little bear tilted its head and asked with a face full of confusion, "Who?"

"I'm Sarah," She tugged on her long black pony tail shyly, as though she was more embarrassed to meet a bear than a person.

"Kumajiro," The bear said seriously, and Matthew let out a small smile when he saw a blush streak across Sarah's face.

"It's a pleasure Kumakichi," She responded with a little curtsy, holding her simple patterned dress to the sides. Matthew covered his mouth with his hand to stop himself from laughing. He didn't know that he wouldn't be the only person to forget Kuma's name. Sarah then turned to him and tilted her head much like Kumajimmy did earlier, "Why are you here all alone Mister Williams?"

"I wasn't here alone, everyone just left," Matthew told her softly.

"That's mean," She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Why would they leave you here all alone Mister Williams?"

"They forgot about me, I guess," He said with a careless shrug. "Now why are you here all alone?" He continued on when she seemed to want to argue about it more. No need to cry over spilled milk and all that.

"I'm not alone," She denied with a violent shake of her head. "I'm here with you! Besides, Mamma and Papa told me to look around." She gave him another gapped tooth smile, "And now you're not alone neither!"

Matthew patted the cute child on the head and stood up to his full height. "Well, let's not stay in this big room any longer. You should introduce me to your parents." He told her in his soft voice and a kind smile.

"Okay!" She chirped, grabbing his hand and dragging him out of the room. Soon they were in the main foyer of the building and he could see two people who looked similar to Sarah looking around.

"Sarah!" The woman cried, and Matthew could safely guess that she was Sarahs mother.

"Mamma! Pappa! Look, I made a new friend!" Sarah cried happily as she dragged Matthew faster towards her parents; soon letting him go to hug her mother.

The man smiled kindly to Matthew as they reached each other and stretched out a hand for him to shake, "I'm Rupert Joyce and this is my wife Gina, thank you so much for bringing our daughter back."

Matthew gave a small laugh and shook his hand firmly, "Matthew Williams, and I have to say that she dragged me here then me bringing her here, Rupert."

"I bet," Gina Joyce laughed as she ruffled her daughter's ponytail. "And I'm sure you're busy, so we won't trouble you for any longer."

"It was no trouble," Matthew said easily. It hadn't bothered him; he liked to meet his citizens all the time. "But I do have to go," He thought of all the fuss his brother, Alfred Jones who was better known as America, would go to if he wasn't there when Alfred remembered him.

"Bye-bye Mister Williams!" Sarah waved her hand at him cutely. "I won't forget you!"

Matthew was surprised that she had remembered what he had said earlier, but just shook it off with another smile. "Yes, I won't forget you either Sarah. Goodbye Rupert, Gina."

~Twenty Years Later~

Matthew rubbed the bridge of his nose, knocking his glasses up while he did so. He sighed as he relaxed back into his chair. The Olympics had been hosted just four month ago in Vancouver, and everyone had known where Canada was. People were surprised by his citizens and his country, and everyone had noticed him. Yet, now he was just another chair, with everyone forgetting he was here.

He absently scratched Kumagiro behind the ears as he watched the rest of the nations clamour out. The world meeting was being held in Ottawa once more, and Matthew had hoped that the Olympics would've made people remember him enough so that he could say a few things. He really did have some interesting points to bring up, but once again he was just an empty chair, someone to ignore.

He was broken out of his thoughts as he began to walk out of the room when the door opened to reveal a child. Deja vu spread through him as he remembered an incident not twenty years ago.

"Hello!" The child, a boy this time, waved at him cheerfully. "I'm Matt, who you?"

Matthew let out a joyful laugh, pushing his depression off of him as he turned to the child, "My name is Matthew Williams, it's nice to meet you Matt." He bent down to be on the same level as the boy so as not to be too intimidating.

"Really?" The boy said with wide eyes. "Mamma says I was named after a Matthew Williams, so that she wo-wouldn't forget!" Matt told him with a wide, gaping, smile.

However, before Matthew could really comprehend what the child had said the door slammed open to reveal a tall, black haired woman. "Matthew Rupert Cook, I thought I told you not to leave me!" She reprimanded the small boy.

"But Mamma, I made a new friend. He says his name is Matthew Williams." Matt cried as he hugged his mothers legs.

"Wha'?" She jerked her head up to meet his eyes, darting to look at Kumahiro, and back to him. "Matthew Williams? Well, I never thought I'd meet you again." She laughed a bit, before introducing herself. "I'm Sarah Cook nee Joyce."

Matthew blinked, "Wow, I didn't, wow." He was so surprised that the little girl he had met all those years ago remembered him. "I never expected to see you again."

"I bet," She said wryly, but smiled at him. "I do wonder why are you here all alone?"

"I wasn't here alone, everyone just left," Matthew told her softly; remembering their first meeting with a fond smile.

"That's mean," She laughed, picking up her child to rest him on her hip. "Why would they leave you here all alone?"

"They forgot about me, I guess," He told her as he hugged Kumajiro closer to his chest.

"I won't forget you," She promised me before she looked at her son. "Will we Matt?"

"Nope, we won't," He said determined, his face so serious it was cute.

"I know," Matthew said simply. And he knew. They weren't going to forget him like the others, and maybe, just that one person would make a difference.

"Hey Mattie!" Alfred called from the door, walking in with confidence. "You coming or what?"

"Yeah," Matthew called back. "I'm coming." He smiled to the two people who would remember him, and walked out with his back straight and his head held a little higher. For them, he would be Canada, a nation to be proud of.

"Did you do something with your hair Mattie?" Alfred asked him as he scrutinized him. "You look different."

"No," Matthew shook his head, his voice a little stronger than usual. "I didn't do anything."

Yes, he was going to be the true North _**strong **_and free!

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**Author's Note:**

This went so far off my original idea that it's not even funny, but I like it so I'm keeping it. So yeah. Anyway, I kind of ran with the idea that Canada meets one of his citizens and finds a reason to be strong and proud like a true Canadian! I think that he would become someone who I could be proud to be the personification of my home, as he was beaten up way too often in the Anime for me to handle.

So, this is my first Hetalia fic. Is it good, no, yes, maybe? Let me know. And no flames! They make me depressed...

USMCcAnthem


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